The Raven and the Mask
by PAC Rat
Summary: when raven wants love she finds it in an unlikly person.
1. Chapter 1

1

They were all in the control room of the Titans Tower doing there own thing...

Well all except Cyborg he was walking outside with Bumblebee, they had just recently gotten together around the same time as Robin and Starfire. Best Boy and Robin were playing a videogame and Starfire who was cheering on Robin was sitting on the floor leaning on his legs. Raven was curled up on a chare reading a book. Well riley she was turning the pages automatically. She was riley thinking about how everybody on the teem had a relationship with somebody. The only people that didn't have a girl/boyfriend were her and Best Boy and Best Boy had actually almost had a girlfriend and he was still in love with Tara. Raven had no Excuse, she had had a crush one time but he turned out to be an evil dragon that had used her to get out of an enchanted book. She tried to think of what having a boyfriend would be like and what he would look like but it was hard she just couldn't think of anyone that would like her.

The alarm went off Just as Cyborg walked throw the door without Bee _she must have gone home _Raven thought standing up and walking over to the large computer.

"What's up?" asked Cyborg

"Slade" Robin growled the name and ran towered the garage everyone fallowing behind.

They were moving fast towered the ware haws that Slade was in. Cyborg, as usual, was driving. They pulled up in front and jumped into action braking throw the door and running in. At first they saw nothing.

"Search the area" Robin said almost a whisper. Raven flew around the outside of the building she was only half paying attention to what she was doing though. Her mind kept wandering bake to love and boyfriends and then of cores she wondered what kissing felt like. She had never had a first kiss and she was slightly curios.

Something moved behind one of the buildings and Raven Fallowed the shadow as silently as possible but as soon as she turned the corner she saw t move behind her so she turned and started to fallow it that way. She saw it move into one of the warehouses and she fallowed it in.

"Raven were are you?" Robin's voice came from her communicator and she picked it up and whispered into it "I think I fawned him." then there was a low chuckle and she turned to see Slade leaning against a stake of crates arms crossed, looking straight at her.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Slade got closer to Raven and stood right in front of her. Raven still slightly off in another world stood frozen. They stood staring at each other for a wile in silence then Robin's voice broke the silence.

"TITANS GO!" Slade suddenly wasn't standing in front of Raven anymore and she was slightly confused. Then she realized that they were in the middle of a fight and she snapped into action. But as soon as she started to say her lines Slade jumped at her and she had to stop and doge out of the way. Then Starfire took some shots at him and he dogged then ran back towered Raven who flew out of the way thy kept fighting but he was only taking the others when necessary he mostly tried to get to Raven.

Robin grabbed Ravens hand and pulled her out of the way and behind some crates "what's going on?" he asked her "didn't we do this already"

"I don't know I'm just as confused as you they were cut of by Slade who swung at Robin, Robin instinctively jumped back and landing a few feet away. Everyone else caught up with him and they started to run forward but suddenly there was a bang and they were in a cage, they started to fight to get out but it seemed there powers were ineffective on the metal bars surrounding them. Slade stood in front of a stunned Raven and both of them staring at the struggling friends in a box.

"I'm surprised you didn't see that coming Robin you're usually more careful than that." Slade said tauntingly. He then turned his attention to Raven standing in front of him still looking at the cage. "hello there" he said trying to grab her attention. She turned to him and started to attack but seeing her plan he gently grabbed her arms and held them down against her sides. She struggled and he waited for her to calm down tightening his grasp on her slightly so she cold not get away. She stopped and looked at him with a glare in her eyes. He chuckled quietly and shook his.

"let them go" Raven demanded. Slade looked back over at the cage

"if that's what you want but first I want to ask you a question." He posed and looked at her waiting for her to allow the question. She nodded silently. "what do you think of…"he posed for a moment thinking "love?" the room when silent everyone stared at him. "_Did he riley just ask me that?_ "Raven thought astonished it was all shed been thinking about since she woke up! Slade stared at her like he riley honesty wanted an answer he, wasn't just playing around.

raven opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. She closed it and swallowed "that's what I think about it to" he said and let go of her she was riley confused now she was having trouble thinking. She leaned agenst the crates for support but her knees gave out and she almost feel but Slade put a strong protective arm around her and pulled her up to her feet. "careful" he said and then set her safely sitting on the floor. He got up and started walking to the exit "the key opens the cage" he left _"What key" _Raven thought then she realized she was holding something. She looked down at her hands that were in her lap. Upon opening them she realized that she was holding a skeleton key tied to a dark red rose with a black ribbon.

"um…Raven? Could you let us out pleas?" Said Best Boy "we should probably go after Slade" Raven got up and unlocked the cage. They all ran out and after Slade except Starfire she stayed behind with Raven who stayed looking at the rose in her hand.

"are you ok?" Starfire asked a little worked. "you seem to be very upset" she put a hand on Ravens shoulder "I'm fine lets get Slade" and they both flew away Raven still holding the rose.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Raven was lying on her bed. They were unsuccessful in there search for Slade and she was kind of happy about that. She held the rose above her face so she could look see it better. It was a normal rose but it was different at the same time, it seemed more beautiful then a regular one, in a way. She thought about how gently Slade had grabbed her arms like he didn't want to hurt her. Her heart fluttered. She shook her head.

"Stop thinking about him!" she yelled at herself pressing her palms into her eyes. She put the rose on the bed next to her and sat up _"you hate him remember. He put you through hell. He almost ruined your life. He brought about your destruction, you hate him! you hate him!" _ she stood up and grabbed the rose, walking towards her desk. "hate." she whispered putting the rose to her nose and smelling it, "hate him." she throw the rose in the trash can and turned around. he crossed her mind again and she looked into the can. "no no no, you hate him!" she picked the rose from the trash and put it on her desk. it looked sad just laying there.

Raven ran out to the kitchen picked a dark blue mug out of the cabinet filled it with water and walked back to her room. She put the rose in the water and sat staring at it, head resting on he arms. "stop thinking about him!"

She stood up and moved over to the window and looked out at the city wondering where Slade was hiding, and if he was anywhere close by. Her breath fogged up the glass. it made her want to be outside in the cool crisp winter air. Maybe it would clear her head.

She opened the window and stood on the sill. she let herself fall, feeling the air rushing around her trying to keep her from hitting the ground. She felt it getting closer and started to fly away up into the air. Lazily doing tricks in the air, flying really high then falling till she almost hit the ground then at the last moment pulling up.

"Raven?" Raven opened her eyes just in time to see Starfire hanging out her window before she ran into her.

"Oh I'm sorry" Raven said, flying into Starfire's room to help her off the floor "That's ok." Starfire said rubbing her head. They stood in silence for a wile then Raven started towards the window but before she took two steps Starfire wrapped her arms around her. "Are you ok?" Starfire asked for the second time that day. Raven thought about it for a second. "Yeah I'm fine," she said. Starfire let go and stood back. Raven turned to look at her. Starfire still looked worried.

"I'm ok, I swear," Raven said. She was very _not_ fine, but why make Starfire upset.

"Well ok, if you say so" Starfire smiled and looked at her clock. It was 11:59. "Well then." she said as the clock blinked 12:00 "see you later today."


	4. Chapter 4

4

Raven woke up to find there was a rose on the pillow next to her with a black ribbon tied around it. At first she wondered how the rose on her desk had gotten next to her, then she realized this rose was dark purple. The one on her desk was really dark red. She looked around her room to see if there was anyone there, but of coarse, she was alone.

"Raven" Cyborg banged on her door she jumped "We have to go!" Raven got dressed as quick as possible and, before leaving her room, she put the purple rose in the mug with the red one.

Of coarse they were chasing Slade. He was standing in the middle of downtown waiting for them. When they arrived he turned and ran. "TITANS GO!" they ran after Slade, hitting him with everything they had. Raven tried to fight but she wasn't much help. She kept staring at him, daydreaming, and she kept almost running into stuff like lamp posts, and buildings, and large cars… She was ready to hit him with a car, but she zoned out and ran into a building instead.

Up ahead Slade dogged something Robin had thrown and turned around just in time to see Raven run into a wall. He laughed; jumping over the Titians. He reached Raven and caught her before she fell to the ground. He laughed even harder when he saw how red her face was. She grabbed her nose and looked at the laughing Slade. His eye closed, he was laughing so hard. His laugh was so happy, so out of place that Raven had to start laughing to.

Slade put her down and looked at her. She stared back wishing she could hug him, she had never laughed so hared in her life. Surprisingly the man that was almost responsible for killing laughter in everybody had made her laugh so hard she couldn't breath. Then she realized she didn't blame him for that. He wasn't the one that wanted the prophecy to come true it was her so called "father" that wanted it that way. Slade just wanted to live. he wasn't ready to die and serving Trigon was his way out. She then realized he hadn't attacked anybody when they had come to get him he was just standing there but they had been called, just because it was him, not because he hurt anybody.

Then she was confused. Why had he just been standing there? She opened her mouth to ask but she was interrupted by the rest or the team who had reengaged Slade. he jumped up and landed on the roof of the building Raven had run into and she followed but when she reached the top he was already gone.

Raven was once again sitting in her room, staring at the roses sitting on her desk. There was rain pounding on the window, the kind of rain no sane person would ever go out in. She heard a knock at her door and went to open it.

"Hi," Robin was standing in the doorway "can I talk to you?"

Raven stepped aside to let him in. Robin walked in and shut the door behind him. "Raven, are you feeling ok?"

Raven was getting tired of that question. "Yeah I'm just really…" she had to think, how did she feel?

"Confused?" Robin asked cocking his head to one side. Raven nodded that was the closest thing to how she felt. "Yeah, Slade sometimes has that affect on people…Listen, Raven, you're a great team member but I think when it comes to Slade you should stay home."

Raven almost laughed out loud. She couldn't believe she was getting this talk from Robin, of all people. "Are you ok with tha-" the alarm went off, and Robin ran out off the room. Raven hung back for a wile than ran out after him.


	5. Chapter 5

5

About a week later, Raven was sitting in her room again. She was putting all the dried petals of the roses she had gotten in a glass jar. She had gotten one rose every night since the day Slade had asked that question... She still didn't have an answer. One night she got something more than a rose.

Raven had woken up in the middle of the night to find that she had something around her neck. She grabbed it and tried to see it in the dark, but that was unsuccessful, so she got up and lit a candle. She looked in the mirror to find she had a silver locket hanging from her neck. It was dark silver in color, almost black when compared to the light silver that decorated it with swirling patterns. In the middle of the heart was a metallic blue R. It was the most stunning thing she had ever seen. She was so confused as to why Slade would love her, why he would risk coming to the tower.

Raven closed her hand around the locket and sighed. She hadn't seen Slade in a while; she had to stay home whenever he was "up to something". The rest of the team had noticed the fact that he hadn't been hurting anybody when they were called. He was just there and they ran, trying to stop him for standing around. They were getting annoyed. One time Raven had even helping them, from the tower, when they were spying on him from behind a bush wondering what to do.

"Should we attack him?"

"Well what is he doing that would make us?"

"Loitering perhaps?" Raven chuckled at the memory of there confused tone.

"What is the point of running to the rescue when he isn't a problem anymore?" Best Boy had asked one day when they were called to stop Slade, again.

Well it wasn't like Raven was left at home by herself a lot, she still had to go out and fight the normal people like bank robbers and stuff, and of course it seemed that as soon as Slade stopped being a BIG problem someone had to fill his shoes.

Her name was Widow she was a tecnapath. she used her powers to build mechanical spiders that injected poison into her victims body. They had gotten many calls from the police about the little spiders crawling around. The thing was they always changed shape and color and size so you could never be sure if it was one of her spiders. The Titians had been called to kill normal spiders so many times it was almost as bad as the Slade calls. But they had to go no mater what, it was there job.

Raven stared out her window. It was a clear cold night. She opened the window and flew up to the roof. She spent most of her time on the roof when the others went to chase Slade.

She would sit and meditate, wondering were he was. And that's what she was doing now. Were was he? There had to be somewhere he could go at night. Of course there was, but were was it? She looked out at the lighted sky scrapers. The city that never sleeps that was what it was. Were in this busy city was he?

Raven looked down at the locket in her hand and tried to open it, but it was stuck shut. She hadn't been able to open it the night she got it, and she had been strugiling with it ever since. She sighed "were are you?" she asked out loud

"Why not look behind you." someone said to her.


	6. Chapter 6

Raven stood up and turned around. She didn't see anybody. She could have sworn she herd Slade say something behind her. "Common little bird open your eyes" Raven squinted into the darkness. "_That was Slade's voice, but were_ " Some one stepped into the light, but he didn't look like Slade.

He was wearing what looked like traditional ninja uniform only you couldn't see his eyes, it looked like he wouldn't be abele to see throw the black material his mask was made of. He also had two Ninja-to strapped to his back there was no color in his clothes it was only black and rely dark gray. "Slade?" Raven had never seen him were anything but his normal mask it was only slightly weird. "Yes who did you think it was?" Slade crossed his arms. Raven walked over to him and looked him over "wares your normal mask?" Raven asked putting a finger to Slade's face. "Do you think I ware that all the time? After a wile don't you think it would start to smell? And it's really not that comfortable." Slade explained walking around so that he could see the city.

"I forgot how it looked at night…when I was young I used to sit and stare at the lights at night. To make up for the absence of the stars I suppose." Slade said and turned to Raven who was staring at him. She was trying to imagine a little Slade, but as she didn't know what he actually looked like the only picture she got was of a mine me Slade. It was actually kind of cute; she thought and had to suppress a giggle.

"So were have you been?" Slade asked they were sitting with there feet hanging over the side of the tower. "Hm?" Raven asked looking at him "when the rest of your teem come to 'stop' me your never with them." Slade coked his head to the side "oh, Robin said that when you are the problem I should stay home cuz' I'm distracted when its you" Raven blushed and looked at her hands "Distracted hu? Well you did run into a wall and…what _Robin_ told you that _you're_ not aloud because _you _get distracted?" Slade sounded incredulous "Um...yes" answered Raven, Slade started to laugh, Raven sat there for a second then joined him. They stopped and sat in silence for a minute.

"Slade do you remember the question you asked me that one night…you know when you gave me the first rose" Raven asked. Slade looked at her and nodded. "Well my answer I think love is complicated…" Raven was thinking of him and her, them together, but could they ever really be together? Her friends, especially Robin, could they accept it? No probably not.

"I know what you're thinking and your right…how do we make this work?" Slade sued up and walked around. Raven got to her feet and watched him.

"Slade were do you go at night?" Raven asked without thinking. She was curious, and had been worried about it for some while but, she hadn't meant to ask. He was still a villain to the rest of the world and probably wanted to keep his hiding place secret; she was worried he would get mad that she asked.

Raven didn't get to find out if he was upset because her communicator went off. She picked it up and motioned for him to be quit he crossed his arms and coked his head to the side as if saying "no freken du" Raven rolled her eyes at him and answered. It was Beast Boy.

"where are you!" he was annoyed. "I'm on the roof" Raven replied. Well get your but dawn hear we had a call!" Cyborg said pulling the communicator up to his face. "Coming" she said and turned it off. She looked at Slade. "Well I guess Ill see you later." She walked toward the edge of the tower and stepped off flouting in mid air. Raven turned around to wave at him before she flew away but he was gone.


End file.
